The trading of stocks, bonds and other financial instruments over computer networks such as the Internet has become a very common activity. In many countries of the world, such stocks, bonds and other financial instruments are traded exclusively over computer networks, completely replacing prior trading systems such as “open outcry” trading in trading pits.
Trading of stocks, bonds, etc. typically requires multiple types of associated electronic information. For example, to trade stocks electronically an electronic trader typically would like to know an asking price for a stock, a current bid price for a stock, a bid quantity, an asking quantity, current information about the company the trader is trading such as profit/loss information, a current corporate forecast, current corporate earnings, etc.
For an electronic trader to be successful, the multiple types of associated electronic information has to be supplied in real-time to allow the electronic trader to make the appropriate decisions. Such electronic information is typically displayed in multiple windows on a display screen.
In addition, when an electronic trader executes an electronic trade over a computer network, the computer network must respond to the order request in real-time in an appropriate, accurate, consistent manner. However, such electronic trade data is typically sent and received in a same data stream that supplies the multiple types of electronic information.
There are however a number of problems with electronic trading. One problem is that supplying multiple types of electronic information along with electronic trading information on the same data streams significantly increases the computations required on a target device being used by an electronic trader and by servers being used by electronic trading providers to separate the information.
Another problem is that such data streams may also include information for national as well as international markets. Desired data from such data streams needs to be accurately separated and displayed by a target device.
Another problem is that sending multiple types of electronic information over a computer network requires a large bandwidth and may significantly affect the performance of the computer network. As the performance of the computer network slows down, the flow of electronic information is also affected. Electronic traders may then not be able to make the appropriate trading decisions at the appropriate moment of time due to slow information flow.
Another problem is that displaying multiple types of electronic information in a coherent format that can be used by an electronic trader is difficult. In many instances such multiple types of electronic information are displayed in multiple windows on a computer display with multiple colors in general formats that do not meet the needs of all electronic traders.
Another problem is that most existing electronic trading systems do not allow an electronic traders to see their current positions, as well as their current profit and loss and commissions in real-time during a trading day. In most instances, such information is not available until a day following a current trading day.
Another problem is that most existing electronic trading systems do not provide the ability to display multiple types of electronic information for national and international markets in a format usable by electronic traders.
Thus, it is desirable to solve some of the problems associated with supplying multiple types of electronic information along with electronic trading information on the same data streams.